DMCA.com Protection Badge is an icon or graphic placed on websites all across the internet as a layer of protection for the contents contained on the website. An example of a badge is included above. There are over 300 versions of the DMCA Protection Badge, and many contain the words DMCA and Protection. All must link to a DMCA.com Website Protection Certificate.
To select a badge of your choosing simply click here: DMCA.com Protected Badge Choices. If you cannot find something that matches your site, you can create your own custom badge.
DMCA.com Fast Tip
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States law that outlines the rights and responsibilities of copyright owners who suspect their copyrighted material has been infringed upon.
The DMCA Protection Badge is a Placed on a Site for Three Reasons
- As a link to the website's content ownership statement certificate.
- To add a Website Certificate to each of your website pages. There are three versions of the website certificate:
- Verified
- Nonverified
- Unauthorized
- To demonstrate to site users the website owner has chosen the DMCA.com Protection Service.
How do DMCA.com Badges & Certificates Work?
The DMCA.com Badge has specific functions. Protection Badges should only be linked to the Website Protection Certificate. Should the Protection Badge be used for alternate purposes such as; not linked to a protection status page, or if it is found on a website using stolen content, it must be reported.
DMCA.com Testimonial
DMCA.com worked diligently to remove our copyrighted content from a duplicate site. They were responsive and extremely professional throughout the process. While the infringing site was located overseas, DMCA.com managed to establish communication with the host site and take down the unauthorized domain. We are forever grateful for the help we received from DMCA.com and we’ll be certain to use their services to assist us in keeping our site secure. -R.S.
How to Add a DMCA.com Protection Badge to your Website
Register
Website Badge Registration. It's free!
Pick a Badge
Be sure you are logged into your account when you select your badge. If you do not pick the badge code when you are logged into the Protection Portal none of the pages your badge choice is placed on will be indexed to your DMCA.com Protection account.
Copy & Paste
Copy the embed code. Paste it either in the footer of your website (to protect all pages with that footer), or on certain pages you want protected.
Badge Code Best Practices
- Make certain the DMCA.com code is "view-able" within the source code of your webpage.
- Do not remove the GUID or Unique alphanumeric tracking and status page code.
- Do not remove the status page link, it's better for users to see your protection status than the DMCA.com home page.
- Make certain the webpage(s) you are placing the badge on is free of validation errors. Check your webpages through a markup validation service.
- Get Verified Status is the best option for your website to have a fully verified website certificate and status page. The website certificate and status page is connected to your Protection Badge.
Check Protected Pages List
Every page that contains a DMCA Protection Badge will be automatically added to the protected pages list. New web pages with the DMCA Protection Badge are detected instantly and generally appear in the secure DMCA Protection Portal Protected Pages list within 24 hours after placing the DMCA Protection Badge on your webpage.
Protection Page Indexing
Placing the DMCA.com Protection Badge on your webpage triggers the DMCA.com crawling/indexing systems to come check your page as it is requested. For faster indexing click on "Fast Index" on the DMCA.com dashboard. Be sure to keep in mind:
- Most new web browsers cache the badge and so it may not be actually requesting the badge from each page that you visit as your browser is likely caching our protection badge, therefore not queuing the page for crawling/indexing.
- With DMCA.com's Free Protection Badge service indexing is also page traffic dependent. Some pages may index slower if they do not have user traffic. To test simply refresh a low/no traffic page and check the index.
How can the DMCA.com Badge protect a website?
The DMCA.com Protection Badge is a symbol or logo displayed on a website to indicate that the site is protect by DMCA.com. Here's how the DMCA.com protection badge can help protect a website.
Declaration of Ownership
Adding the DMCA Protection Badge to your website provides a clear declaration to all users on the site regarding the ownership of the content being displayed on EVERY webpage. In almost all jurisdictions with copyright law this statement of ownership, or publication rights is critical. The badge with the certificate provides this statement to all users.
Deterrence
Displaying the DMCA badge on your website sends a signal to potential infringers that you are actively monitoring and protecting your content. It serves as a deterrent against unauthorized use of your copyrighted materials by making it clear that you are prepared to take legal action if necessary.
DMCA Notices and Takedown Services
DMCA.com provides Professionally Managed Takedown Services and DMCA Notice Templates for copyright owners to request the removal of infringing content from online platforms. By prominently displaying the DMCA.com badge, you signal that you are aware of your rights under the law and are ready to enforce them. This may encourage potential infringers to think twice before using your content without permission.
DMCA Safe Harbor
Under the DMCA law, online service providers can benefit from a safe harbor provision, which shields them from liability for copyright infringement committed by their users. By displaying the DMCA.com Badge, you demonstrate that you are committed to complying with the DMCA's requirements, which may help you qualify for this legal protection in case your users infringe on others' copyrights.
Monitoring
The DMCA.com badge will notify you if someone copies your website code. Often, website thiefs will copy paste and entire website's source code and this includes the DMCA.com Badge code. You will receive an email notification when this happens, to alert you to the theft of your website.
It's important to note that while the DMCA.com protection badge can be a useful tool, it does not provide absolute protection against copyright infringement. It is still crucial to actively monitor your content, promptly respond to infringements, and, if necessary, seek legal counsel to enforce your rights effectively.
Related DMCA Takedown FAQ's
- What is the DMCA Protected Badge
- What is DMCA Protection
- What is DMCA Protected Certificate
- What is DMCA Website Certificate
- What if I found the DMCA Protected Badge on a site with stolen content
- How do I Report Abuse of DMCA Website Protection Badge?
- DMCA.com's Protection Badge Terms and Conditions of Use
- What is DMCA.com Website Status Page and Protection Certificate